Polartec® Power Air™, launched last year with brands like Houdini, Adidas, Burton and NOBULL, is an innovative platform offering advanced thermal efficiency by encapsulating lofted fibers within a multilayer, continuous yarn fabric construction. Insulation that effectively regulates core body temperature has traditionally been achieved via lofted or high-pile knit structures that hold warm air. As the first fabric construction to encase air with a continuous yarn, initial versions of Polartec® Power Air™ are proven to shed at least five times less than other premium ‘mid-layer’ weight fabrics. The foundational technology platform will eventually provide shedding reduction to all existing apparel categories (including insulation, lightweight next to skin, and extreme weather protection). 

“Polartec® Power Air™ is a step forward in reducing the environmental impact of what we make and wear,” says Steve Layton, President of Polartec®. “It’s a whole new experience with its distinctive aesthetics and drag-free, lively performance. We continue to tap into the potential of this new fabric construction, and we’re now able to make it fully recyclable and circular, while simultaneously making it lighter weight.”

The culmination of a multi-year development consisting of thousands of work hours and countless iterations, Power Air™ is a product of Polartec® Eco-Engineering™. Polartec® invented the process of knitting technical fleece from post-consumer plastic bottles in 1993, upcycling over one and a half billion bottles to date, and continues to lead the industry in offering durable fabric technologies made of recycled and recyclable content. Polartec introduced its 100% recycled Polartec® Power Fill™ insulation in 2018, which eliminates the need for wasteful and non-recycled carrying agents used in other insulation options. Now fully recyclable and circular Power Air™ is the latest product of the Polartec® Eco-Engineering™ mission to create fabrics that further reduce environmental impact.